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Brooklyn man accused of $16M crypto fraud, targeting 100+ Coinbase customers nationwide.
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$500K recovered from victims who were tricked into sending money to fake “safe wallets”.
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The defendant laundered crypto by gambling, exchanging, and purchasing digital assets.
A 23-year old Brooklyn man was charged with orchestrating an extensive crypto phishing scheme and social engineering scheme which defrauded almost 100 Coinbase users in the United States out of nearly $16 million.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez released the indictment Friday. The indictment alleges that Ronald Spektor, of Sheepshead, posed as Coinbase representative and convinced victims that their accounts were threatened and that they needed to transfer to new wallets controlled directly by him.
Scam targets 100 victims across the nation
According to the DA’s office, this scheme involved contacting victims via phone calls, email, and spoofed alerts for two-factor authentication. Believing that they were communicating with Coinbase staff members, the victims transferred their crypto-assets to Spektor controlled wallets.
Victims reported across the country include:
- A California resident has received over $1 million
- A Virginia resident has received approximately $900,000.
- A Pennsylvania man has received $53,150
- A woman in Maryland received $38,750
Investigations revealed that the stolen money was laundered via crypto exchanges, gaming platforms, and digital assets purchases. So far, about $105,000 in cash has been recovered and $400,000 worth of crypto. Additional assets are still being tracked.
The DA’s Virtual Currency Unit found that the defendant used online forums and Telegram channels to promote his scams and recruit others.
Spektor, who allegedly operated a Telegram channel called “Blockchain enemies” under the handle @lolimfeelingevil, boasted about his thefts, gambling losses, as well as teaching others social engineering tactics.
Legal Action and Arrest
Spektor was indicted on 31 counts by Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun. The indictment includes grand theft, first-degree laundering of money, and a scheme to defraud. He is currently being held in jail on bail.
District Attorney Gonzalez emphasized the seriousness of cryptocurrency fraud.
“We’ll investigate offenders using cutting-edge technology, freeze their assets when possible, and assist victims.”
Paul Grewal, Chief Legal Officer at Coinbase, praised the DA’s office for their work. He praised the company for its cooperation in identifying and tracking stolen funds, as well as providing evidence.
Avoiding Cryptocurrency Scams
The DA’s Office reminded the public:
- Never send crypto based on calls or emails that you have not received.
- Verify communications by using official in-app support channels
- Use strong account protections such as two-factor authentication or Security Keys
- Verify information independently and avoid acting under pressure
The DA’s Virtual Currency Unit conducted the investigation with help from Coinbase, Flashpoint and several law enforcement and digital forensics team.
Related: Billions lost to crypto scams push U.S. Senators must act
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